Dress-form



(No Model.)

J. W. LITTLEI'IELD.

DRESS FORM.

No. 384,372. Patented June 12; 1888.

UNITED STATES PATENT @rrrcn.

JOHN \V. LITTLEFIELD, OF EVERETT, MASSACHUSETTS.

DRESS-FORM.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 384,372, dated June 12, 188'8.

Application filed May 2!, 1887. Serial No. 239,005. (No model.)

To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, J OHN W. LITTLEFIELD, a citizen of the United States, residing at Everett, in the county of liliddlesex and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Adjustable Dress- Forms; and I do hereby declare the following to be afull, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to letters or figures of reference marked thereon, which form apartot' this specification.

This invention pertains to certain new and useful improvements in (IIGSSfOIIIIS; and it consists in the detail construction, combination, and arrangement of parts, substantially as hereinafter fully set forth, and particularly pointed out in the claim.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation of a skirt-form embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a vertical section of the same. Figs. 3 and 4 illustrate modifications in the construction ofthe long extensible skirt ribs.

The central post is made with a folding base, 13, consisting of the sliding ring b, having a. setscrew, to which is hinged the foot rods b and the fixed ring I)" at the foot of the post, having the hinged braces b hinged to the rods b near their centers, so that by loosening the ring Z1 and sliding itup the rods b b are folded up against the pole.

C are the upright ribs of the skirt-form; D, E, and F, sets of braces or stretchers therefor, arranged and operating in the usual manner, and G and H are the hip and waist tapes.

In addition to the customary sets of braces for the hips and bottom of the skirt-ribs, there is a set of single waistbraces, K, hinged to the ring L and to the upper ends of the ribs C, to afford a firm and rigid support for the waist of the skirt-form when the parts are properly adjusted. The ring L is placed on the pole below the ring F of the hip-braces F, with the braces K projecting upward, and it is provided with aclaniping device, preferably in the form of a set-screw ring, 2, projecting below the ring L. The ends of the braces D E are also connect ed to sliding rings D E on the central post, as shown.

waist ends of the ribs of a dress-form, and I y do not claim them, broadly; but the primary idea of this invention, so far as this portion of the device is concerned, is to secure the necessary waist-support for the ribs and at the same time have the device completely collapsible, so that all the ribs and braces will fold down as close as possible against the post; and when thus constructed the upper part of the skirt-form folds down as closely with the set of waist-braces as the ordinary style of shirtforms do without them.

In shutting up, the ring of the braces F slides up on the pole and the upper ends of the ribs 0 shut down on top of it. In this position the brace-wires K have room to fold in against the pole without causing the ribs C to project out farther than they otherwise would.

The ribs 0 are all made extensible for the purposes above described. For this purpose the ribs are made in two parts, 0' G", which can slide on each other. In the form of the device shown in Figs. 1 and 2 each of the sections 0' O" has eyes m, which encircle the wires of the other section of the rib. Stops n a short distance above the ends of the wires of the upper part prevent the parts (3" from being drawn clear down to the end of the upper part, so that the ribs, when drawn out to their full length, will still have some stiffness. The part 0 has the cross-bar O, to which is hinged the extensible braces D.

In the modification shown by Fig. 3 the up per part of the rib has at its lower end thecrossbar O, to which the braces D are hinged, and which cross-bar also operates as a stop for the lower sliding part, 0', and the latter has two eyes, m, on each of its side wires, which encircle the wires of the upper rib portion.

The form shown in Fig. 4 is a combination of the two preceding forms, each section of the rib having eyes in at its ends, the upper part a stop, if, and the upper part also carrying the crossbar 0.

What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-- In a dress-form, the combination of the central stationary post, the adjustable and collapsible base, the upright ribs with extensible KOO In testimony whereof I affix my signature in to presence of two witnesses.

JOHN \V. LITTLEFIELD.

Vitnesses:

NATHANIEL W. LADD, D. A. HINoKs. 

